Voldemort's Heir
by sunshinelexi
Summary: 20 years after Voldemort's demise, a prophecy predicting that his Heir will rise and carry on his mission is about to come to pass.
1. McGonagall's Letter

A note about the title: it seemed like the most appropriate title for my piece. I thought of it myself and I like it a lot. However, when I looked on here, I did notice that there were several others with the same title. If any of those people are reading my story, I did not intentionally steal your title, but if it offends you I will try to think of something else.

I know there are a lot of stories about potential heirs of Voldemort flying around, but none of them is quite like mine =)

I hope you like it. It is a lot better than my last one.

Note: I changed the title of this chapter to McGonagall's letter in anticipation of the last chapter being entitled Voldemort's Heir.

Chapter 1: McGonagall's Letter

_It has been 25 years since the final fall of Lord Voldemort, yet all is not well in the wizarding world. Parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are missing, reminding us of the cost of war. Old hatreds remain and new ones are created. On top of this, there is a prophecy that one day, the child and heir of Lord Voldemort will return to carry out his mission. That day is soon to arrive. _

I watched my mother, Mandy Fitzkettle, bustle about the kitchen, her mouth set in a tight line. Normally, I knew better than to bother her when she was like this, but…

"Did it come today?" I asked.

Mandy said nothing, continuing to make the sponge she was levitating scrub the counter ferociously.

"It came, didn't it?" I said, exasperated. "I still don't see why I can't go! All the wizards my age have already been at Hogwarts for four years!"

Mandy sighed. "All right, all right. The owl came this morning. And its not as though I don't want you to go, its just… things will be difficult for you there." She put her wand down on the counter and hugged me close. "And I'm your mother, I will do everything I can to protect you." Letting go of me she said sadly, "But I'm afraid that is no longer possible."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Mandy left the room momentarily and returned with a letter in her hand.

"Read this," she said.

_Dear Mandy and Randy Fitzkettle,_

_Once again, I write you to invite your foster son Marvolo Thomas Fitzkettle Carrow to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Only this time, I fear it is not a request. I understand that his situation requires some delicacy; after all, old hatreds and prejudices are not forgotten overnight. For this reason, I have allowed you to homeschool Marvolo for what should have been his first four years at Hogwarts. However, in the fifth year, we prepare the students for taking their OWLs. You have shown me in your Progress Reports that your son is an exceptionally bright student, but without this preparation, he will be in serious danger of failing his OWLs, and his future career in the Wizarding world will be placed in serious jeopardy. In addition, we feel that it would be healthy for Marvolo to mix more with students his own age. Accordingly, we have revoked your special permission to allow your son to perform magic at home, and if you continue to homeschool him, it will be seen as a violation of underage wizardry law. I hope to see Marvolo with us this year. I have no doubt that he will do well here at Hogwarts._

_Sincerely,_

_Headmistress Minerva McGonagall_

I read the letter over and over again, mind numb with disbelief. I was going to Hogwarts! Finally, I was going to Hogwarts!!! The headmistress' tone worried me a little bit; she sounded like a serious hardass, but I supposed headmistresses needed to be strict.

"So…" I finally dared to ask my mother "I really can go this time?"  
"Yes," she sighed, "I have no other choice."

I leapt out of my chair and threw my arms around Mandy, kissing her on the cheek. Throwing the letter on the table, I ran to my room and yelled back down to Mandy "I'm going upstairs to pack my clothes Mum!"

The rest of the day passed in a blur. McGonagall's letter had come three days ago, leaving me only one day to get ready for my trip to Hogwarts. I went to Diagon Alley to buy all my books and supplies, and then to Madam Malkin's to get fitted or school robes. As I walked past the wand shop, I thought of my own wand, made of holly and dragon heartstring. At least that was one thing I didn't have to buy anew. It made me proud to think I already knew more magic than most people did when first coming to Hogwarts.

When I was finally done purchasing and packing everything, it was after midnight, and I collapsed unto my bed in exhaustion.

I woke again a few hours later, my stomach reminding me that in the excitement I had forgotten to eat anything after breakfast. I got up quietly to sneak to the refrigerator for a midnight, well 2 am, snack. When I passed my parents' bedroom, I was surprised to find the light still on.

_What are they doing up at this time of night?_ I thought. Still, I would have left them without a second thought had I not heard my name.

"-let our Tom go just like that?" my father, Randy was saying.

"I know" Mandy whispered. "But what else could I do after McGonagall gave us that ultimatum?"

"Has McGonagall taken leave of her senses? He is the son of convicted Death Eater Alecto Carrow, and maybe even Lord Voldemort himself! Who knows what the diehard Potter supporters will do to him?"

Mandy hesitated. "He won't be hurt. Physically anyway. The teachers of Hogwarts have a responsibility to protect all of their students."

"He would be better off here," Randy repeated.

"Well then" said Mandy acidly. "What can the Ministry of Curriculum Coordination do about it?"

"I don't speak for my whole ministry." Randy replied. "It's a miracle we have been able to keep him safe as long as we have."

I backed away then. I didn't want to hear any more. I no longer felt hungry; in fact, I felt a bit sick. Was it really true that I could be in _danger_ at Hogwarts? From supporters of _Harry Potter_, the man who supposedly _liberated_ our world from You-Know-Who? And I would suffer solely because I had the misfortune to be born to Alecto Carrow, a one-time Death Eater who was even now locked away in Azkaban? Surely my parents were just worrying too much… After all, they had never been separated from me for any length of time before. Still, their conversation raised doubts about the reception I was likely to receive at Hogwarts.

How will Marvolo Thomas Fitzkettle Carrow, son of Alecto Carrow and an unknown dark wizard, rumored to be Voldemort's Heir, fare during his first year at Hogwarts?

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: Hogwarts.

If you liked it, comment, rate, subscribe and all that jazz. I tend to do a chapter or two then go inactive for years, but I really like this story, and if I get enough feedback I'm certain I will be inspired to finish it.


	2. Alecto's Gift

Sorry it took me so long to get chapter 2 out, I'm not going to lie, I was playing WoW :/. But here it is, please review. If I hadn't finally gotten two reviews this wouldn't have gotten written at all.

Changes: This story takes place 25 years after the fall of Voldemort, not 20 years as previously stated. I had to change this because I am making Harry Potter's daughter Lily be a fifth year in my story and the end of the last book states that 19 years after the fall of Voldemort she was to attend Hogwarts next year. Also, I have changed the title of chapter 2 to Alecto's Gift.

Chapter 2: Alecto's Gift

"Ok, so you've got you owl, you've got your trunk, your school robes… Oh _damn_ we forgot to bring your cauldron" Mandy said. She looked as if she was about to cry.

"It's alright. Mum, you can send it on the next train to Hogsmeade," I replied, patting her on the back awkwardly and trying to avoid the glances of curious passerby. King's Cross Station seemed especially busy this Monday morning.

Mandy took a deep breath, her eyes bright with tears. "I know. You're going to be all right Tom. You're going to make lots of friends and have a splendid time at Hogwarts," she said, as if trying to convince herself.

I managed a tired smile. I hadn't been able to sleep at all after what I had overheard last night.

Randy cleared his throat. "Mandy, I think we should talk with Tom someplace more private" he said with a significant look at his wife.

"Wha-Why?" I asked, confused.

"Follow me" Randy said, and he led the way into a magically enlarged space next to platform 9 ¾ that I hadn't even known was there. _I wonder how many adolescents have hidden here to escape the too-tearful farewells of clinging parents_, I thought wryly.

"Mandy, its time that we give Tom the- the wutchamacallit" Randy said with a significant glance at his wife.

"Oh no," Mandy said. "I don't trust that woman. Whatever _it _is, its probably designed to bite his head off if he doesn't sing the praises of Lord Voldemort within 30 seconds of first touching the thing."

"Mandy, if it was dangerous, the Ministry of Magic would have confiscated it. And I think Tom deserves to have something from his birth mother after years of abandonment and neglect."

"Wait-Alecto left me something?" I always referred to my birth mother as Alecto; Mandy was my mum.

"Yes." Randy paused. "When she was arrested, the aurors found you playing with this inside your cradle."

He handed me a small shiny object. The wutchamacallit was a small lens rimmed with silver with strange carvings around the edges. It looked a bit like a magnifying glass without a handle. I turned it over and was startled to find initials carved into the bottom rim. MTC, for Marvolo Thomas Carrow.

"Thanks" I said, dropping the wutchamacallit into the pocket of my robes. It suddenly felt about ten pounds heavier.

What is the mysterious wutchamacallit? A harmless gift from mother to son or a mysterious Dark Object whose secrets remained hidden from even the Ministry of Magic? Stay tuned for chapter 3.

I am taking suggestions on what to call the wutchamacallit once I describe its function later in the story (yes it _does_ do something). I'm going to leave off saying what for now, because that would mean giving a lot away, and see what suggestions I get for the name from just the description of the item.


	3. Journey & Destination

If you were disappointed with the length of the last chapter, this one is longer, and I also have the fourth one out today.

Thanks very much to my reviewers, Obsidian Sage and David Fishwick!!! Without you, this wouldn't have gotten written at all. Please continue to review =).

Chapter 3: Journey & Destination

After I said goodbye to Mandy and Randy, I boarded the Hogwarts Express and started to look for an empty compartment. I found one near the back of the train and began to read the book Randy had bought me for my last birthday, an alphabetical biography of famous Quiddich players entitled Quiddich Greats Throughout the Ages. I had no sooner reached Boris Boscoff than I heard a loud voice shout, "This one's empty."

A tall, good-looking boy barged into my compartment and sat down, followed by five of his friends. This was quite a tight squeeze, as the compartments were only meant to seat four. There was hardly room to breathe. As the group of friends talked loudly with each other, a slight boy with brown hair and hazel eyes turned to me, smiled shyly and said, "Sorry for invading your compartment."

I smiled despite myself. "It's ok."

"I'm Ted. Ted Lupin." He extended his hand as far as it would go in the crowded compartment.

"Tom Fitzkettle." I said, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Tom."

"It's too _crowded_ in here" someone near the door complained.

"It's alright." I said, closing my book. "I'll leave."

"But you were here first" Ted pointed out.

"It's fine," I mumbled, grabbing my trunk and pushing my way out of the compartment.

I made my way down the narrow passageway between the compartments, nearly colliding with the witch who ran the sweet cart.

"Find a seat, dearie," she said disapprovingly.

"Yes ma'am" I replied, quickly getting out of her way. She gave me the creeps.

As I stood in the aisle trying to figure out where to sit, a blonde boy walking down the aisle nearly tripped over my trunk.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry."

He peered at me closely.

"Say, who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you before, but you look much too old to be a first year."

"I'm not a first year; I'm a transfer student," I explained.

"I see. I'm Scorpius Malfoy," the boy said, seeming to remember his manners.

"Tom Fitzkettle."

"Ah, finally a magical name in this dump. Your parents both wizards?" Scorpius asked, as casually as if he were asking about the weather.

I didn't want to get into my family history with a total stranger, so I replied, "My mum's a Muggle-born, but my dad's a wizard."

Scorpius put his arm around my shoulders as if we were friends. "You'll want to keep that between us" he said quietly. "Everyone worthwhile to know around here is a pureblood."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"If you have no compartment, I suppose you can sit with us," Malfoy offered.

"Sure," I said, less because I was looking forward to it than because I had no other choice.

Malfoy's friends were a rather boring, arrogant lot, with little to boast of besides pureblooded parents. Half the time, I suspected even that to be a lie. I was secretly relieved when we finally arrived at Hogwarts.

I rode into Hogwarts by thestral with the other 5th years, but when I arrived I was ushered into a side room off the Front Hall to be Sorted with the first years. This was less than ideal. Sure, I had wanted to come to Hogwarts, but I hadn't been told that I would be Sorted in front of everyone. It made sense, as I did not yet have a house. But technically, I was a fifth year. I would be in all fifth year classes. So why did I have to wait here with the first years? Being four years older, and tall for my age, I towered above them and drew curious stares. I felt like an idiot. To my relief, Headmistress McGonagall walked over to us to give us a speech that seemed intended to soothe our frayed nerves. After she was finished, I pulled her aside.

"Headmistress? Might I be sorted somewhere, privately. I stick out like a –"

The look she gave me stopped me in my tracks. If she had seemed authoritative and intimidating in her letter, it was nothing to meeting her in person.

"Do you mean to suggest that our current Sorting system is not good enough for you, Mr. Carrow?" she asked, sounding affronted.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean- I don't like being the center of attention," I finished quietly.

The Headmistress looked at me with a mixture of sympathy and respect.

"There are times when we all must face our fears, Mr. Carrow. I expect you to go out into the Great Hall and be Sorted like everyone else."

I swallowed. "Yes ma'am."

I walked quickly into the Great Hall behind the first years, feeling a mixture of apprehension and dread. At least my name was at the beginning of the alphabet, so it would be over quickly. Or so I thought.

How will our reclusive hero fare in the Sorting ceremony? Which house will he belong to? Stay tuned for Chapter 4 to find out =)


	4. The Sorting

Chapter 4: The Sorting

All eyes were on me as I followed the first years into the Great Hall. The other students could tell as well as the first years that I was not one of them. For the first time in my life, I wished fervently that I could have been born as short as a gnome or house elf. Professor McGonagall began to read the names of students to be sorted. Annabelle Ainsley, Timothy Bogtrotter, and then…

"Marvolo Thomas Carrow."

I heard a few people murmur in surprise at my surname, and I felt my cheeks burn with shame for sins I had not even committed. I walked quickly to the chair on the dais and jammed the sorting hat onto my head.

_Hmm, what do we have here? A sound mind and body, strong and brave, yet ambitious too. A strong desire to belong._

_Shut up._ I thought. _Let's just get this over with. I want to get out of here._

_Well _that's_ not a good attitude to have is it? _The hat replied, to my surprise. It knew my thoughts?

_Sorry. _I replied._ But, like you said, I have a strong desire to belong, and I just _don't _belong here._

_Would you like me to tell you where you belong, or would you like to find out for yourself?_

_I'm not sure._

_Well, if you want my opinion, you probably belong in Slytherin. Your mother was a Slytherin, as was all of her relatives._

_But my mother was a murderer, and I don't want to hurt anyone._

The hat chuckled inside my head. _Not all Slytherins are murderers._

_Sorry. I didn't mean to imply it._

_But you still feel uncomfortable being placed in Slytherin?  
A little, yea._

_Ok then. Better be _GRIFFINDOR!!! The hat said, screaming the last word to the whole hall. It was greeted with a dead silence. Unlike the first years, I seemed to be unworthy of applause.

As soon as I sat down at the Griffindor table, my fellow students moved to put as much space between us as possible, as though I had a contagious case of dragon pox. Judging by the way I had been treated on the train, and the curious and covetous looks I was receiving from across the hall, I had a feeling I would have made friends a lot more easily at the Slytherin table.

What the hell had this bloody hat gotten me into?

Tom has finally got a house, but will he be able to make friends? Stay tuned for Chapter 5!


	5. Homeless

Note: After Re-reading the last bit of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows over again, I have realized that several of the characters in my story are the wrong ages. Lily Potter should be a few years younger than she is in this story and Teddy Lupin should be older. But I can't figure out a way to change this and make the story still work, so I'm going to keep as is. It seems like a pretty insignificant detail anyway.

Chapter 5: Homeless

After the Sorting Ceremony, I followed my fellow Gryffindors up to the Common Room. As students began retiring to the dormitories, I realized that no one had told me what room I would be staying in. I lingered uncertainly near the steps to the boys' dormitory until I finally dredged up the resolve to ask Headmistress McGonagall if Hogwarts had a policy on finding dorm rooms for transfer students. As I climbed out through the portrait hole I nearly ran into Ted Lupin and a pretty Gryffindor girl with short red hair and large brown eyes.

"Hello." Ted said pleasantly. "Lily, this is Marvolo Carrow. Or is it Tom Fitzkettle?"

"My real name is Marvolo, but I prefer Tom. Mandy and Randy Fitzkettle are my foster parents. They've been taking care of me while my mum's been… busy" I finished lamely.

"Ah, I see. Tom, this is Lily Potter," Ted said, changing the subject.

"Hi," Lily said, barely looking at me.

"I- Erm, well, I should be going," I said, trying to escape with my dignity intact.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked. "It's almost curfew."

I didn't want to admit that I didn't have a room, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. "I'm going to see McGonagall about my rooming assignment."

"Oh, we don't have assignments here. We can room with whomever we want. You can stay with us if you'd like; one of our roommates left last year," Ted offered.

Lily snorted. "James isn't going to be happy about this."

"James can bugger off," Ted said sourly.

Lily sighed. "Whatever you two are fighting about now, don't get me involved."

"He crashed my broom, Lily. And you knew about it and didn't tell me!"

She didn't try to deny it. "How did you find out?"

"Trevor asked me if I had gotten it fixed yet."

"Don't get so upset," Lily advised. "It was only a Cleansweep 200, and mum bought you a Nimbus 3000."  
Ted frowned. "At least _I_ don't go around wrecking other people's things. Or lying about it," he added, glaring at Lily.

"No." Lily agreed with an air of false solemnity. "That's what I like about you."

Ted opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it and blushed.

"Good night Teddy Bear," she said, kissing him on the cheek and walking away as if I wasn't even there.

"I told you not to call me that!" Ted grumbled, scowling at her. I could hear her laughter from the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"Come on." Ted said, turning to me. "It's this way."

I followed Ted to a room near the back of the hallway. Ted was rooming with Trevor Longbottom and James Potter, the tall, assertive boy I had met on the train. I soon found out that he was none other than the son of Harry Potter, the man who had defeated You-Know-Who 25 years ago. Lily had been right; her brother was not happy about having me for a roommate. But Ted had only to mention his broom to get James to subside into a grumbling, cursing, semi-silence.

How will Tom fare on his first day at Hogwarts? Read on to find out =)


	6. Adjustment

I've been busy – here's chapters 6, 7, & 8, almost done with 9!

Chapter 6: Adjustment

If I had thought that life would be easier now that I had a House, a room, and a friend, I couldn't have been more wrong. For one thing, I hadn't expected the classwork to be so _hard_. My first class of the semester was Charms. As we filed into the classroom, Professor Bundywort handed us a list of Charms we were supposed to have already mastered for our OWLs. While the other students looked over the list confidently, my heart plummeted as I saw several charms I had never been able to perform successfully and others I hadn't even _heard_ of. It was only the first day of the semester and already I was so far behind the other students I felt as if I would never catch up.

I made my way to Potions class in a daze. I sat in the second row, in the seat closest to the door. I had just began to unpack my potions ingredients when a student in Slytherin green ambled over to my desk.

"Well, if it isn't Marvolo Carrow," the Slytherin sneered. It was Scorpius Malfoy. "You lied to me."

"Eh?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"You said your mother was Muggle-born."

"Alecto Carrow may have given birth to me, but Mandy Fitzkettle is my mum," I replied.

Scorpius' eyes narrowed. "So you're one of _those_, huh? Maybe the Sorting Hat was right after all." He stalked away, and I sat down, nonplussed.

"He means a pureblood with unacceptable pro-Muggle leanings," a female voice said from behind me. "I'm one of _those_, too," she added.

I turned around. I must have looked as shocked as I felt because she laughed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help overhearing. Malfoy tends to cause a stir wherever he goes." She extended her hand for me to shake. "I'm Nagisa Black."

I shook her hand, a bit distracted by her unusual appearance. Nagisa was tall and thin, with silver-blonde hair that fell past her waist and eyes the color of rubies.

"When someone gives you their name, it's polite to give your own in return," Nagisa teased, and I blushed.

"I'm…Marvolo Carrow," I said reluctantly.

"You don't seem to like your name much" she said, garnet eyes serious.

"I don't."

"I don't like my birth name either," she admitted. "Nagisa Lestrange." My eyes widened in shock.

"Bellatrix's – ?"

"Yes, yes, Bellatrix Lestrange was my mother," she said impatiently, as if wanting to get it over with. "You and I have a lot in common."

"But, I thought your surname was Black" I said confused.

"I took my mother's maiden name, as it has become widely associated with her cousin Sirius Black."

"Sirius Black?"  
"You've never heard of him?" she asked in surprise. "He was a member of the Order of the Phoenix; he helped overthrow You-Know-Who."

Bellatrix's cousin had been in the Order of the Phoenix? Suddenly, I felt much better. I turned to Nagisa to thank her, but at that moment, the Potions professor cleared her throat and called the class to order.

Scorpius seems to be a lot like another Malfoy we know and love- guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Or does it? Read on to find out if Tom and Nagisa can overcome the curse of being born into a family of Death Eaters.


	7. Disruption

Sorry this is so short, I just had a great cliffhanger moment at the end here and couldn't bear to continue the chapter after that. Chapter 8 is really long though =).

Chapter 7: Disruption

Two weeks into the semester, things were finally looking up. Ted was tutoring me in Charms (Hover charms lift, levitation spells lift _and _move), and I soon found out that my Potions partner Nagisa was as brilliant as she was beautiful. My best subject was Muggle Studies. As I was growing up, Mandy had often taken me to visit her Muggle family in Westchester. As a result, I could use Muggle appliances with ease and was as familiar with Muggle history and current events as most Muggle-borns.

That day after class, the Muggle Studies Professor, a Miss Gardenia, pulled me aside and asked if I would come visit her office.

"This is embarrassing to admit," she said as we walked down the hall, "But my cousin bought me some newfangled Muggle machine, and I've no idea how to work it! Whenever I press the 'on' button, it makes a horrible sucking noise."  
"I think it's a vacuum cleaner. The, erm, sucking is normal. It's used to clean floors," I explained, trying to suppress a smile.

"Oh, is that what it is?" she asked, sounding relieved and delighted at the same time.

"I think so; I'll have to see it to be sure."

"It's right in here." Professor Gardenia opened the door to her office, dropped the papers she was carrying, and screamed.

Why did Professor Gardenia scream? What exactly is in the Muggle Studies office? Read on to find out =)


	8. NV

Here's chapter 8. I'm been posting them so fast because I'm going on vacation in a few days so I might not get to post more for a week or so =).

Chapter 8: N.V.

I took one look at her office and wondered if a bomb had gone off. It looked as if someone had Exploded her brand new vacuum cleaner, as bits of dust and plastic littered the room. File cabinets were toppled over and bits of paper littered the floor. The portrait of the Muggle Prime Minister that had hung on the wall behind Professor Gardenia's desk had been slashed with a knife or some other sharp object. Worst of all was the message written on the wall below the picture in a sticky red substance that looked uncomfortably like blood. "You'll be first" it said, and it was signed "N.V."

Professor Gardenia sank to the ground, her face ashen and her glasses askew. "Who could have done this?" she whispered.

"I don't know," I said. "Will you be all right Professor? I'm going to get the Headmistress."

She looked up at me in a daze. "Oh that's right… Tom… such a nice boy."

I took that as a "yes" and went to look for McGonagall.

I found the Headmistress in her office, signing some papers. She asked me a few questions about what I had seen and sent Filch to wipe the message off the wall before allowing me to return to my dormitory. As I turned to leave, she said,

"Tom, I must ask you to speak of this to no one. If this was a prank, it was in very poor taste, and I wouldn't want any students to become alarmed."

I stared at her incredulously. "So, you think it was a joke?"

She looked at me steadily over the rims of her half-moon spectacles. "I did not say that, Mr. Carrow. I said that it _may_ be a prank, but regardless, we must tread carefully."

"Yes ma'am" I replied, abashed.

It turned out that McGonagall had not needed to warn me to keep quiet about what I had seen; everybody already knew. It was all they could talk about. On the way up to the boy's dormitory, I overheard Lily, Ted, and James discussing it in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"-think it was Malfoy?" Lily asked.

"His initials are S.M., not N.V." Ted pointed out.

"Yeah, but do you think whoever did it would be stupid enough to sign their own name? It'd be like asking McGonagall for a detention," James scoffed.

"What do you think the initials stood for then?" Ted shot back. "Their favorite Quiddich player?"

"Oh, give it a rest you two!" Lily looked around, lowered her voice, and added more seriously, "D' you think this means someone's trying to resurrect the Death Eaters?"

James snorted. "More like some joker having a lark."

_Easy for you to say_, I thought. _You didn't see the message, or the expression on Gardenia's face when she read it._ I was sure that whatever the message had been, it hadn't been a joke.

Who is the mysterious vandal known only as N.V.? What will they do next? Read on to find out =)


	9. MindReading

After a short hiatus, I am back with chapters 9 and 10. Enjoy! Thanks to my reviewers Nielispirn, Alliriyan, David Fishwick and Obsidian Sage. Keep posting your feedback!

Chapter 9: Mind-reading

I dreamed vividly that night, for the first time in a while. I saw blood, and the horrified expression on Professor Gardenia's face, and Alecto stroking my cheek whispering, "You'll be first." I bolted upright, soaked in my own sweat.

"Shit," I said, looking at the clock. I had overslept and missed Charms. I dressed quickly and headed to Potions.

I entered the classroom a little early, and was tempted to walk back out again when I heard several Slytherins discussing the vandalism.

"I think she deserved it, the little Muggle-loving freak," Scorpius Malfoy said. "Oh, look class, it's a VA-coom cleaner!" he mimicked Professor Gardenia to gales of laughter.

"No one deserved that," I said quietly.

"Don't mind Malfoy," Nagisa said. "He's just pissed because he didn't think of it himself."

Malfoy glared at her. "I'd watch it if I were you, Miss la-STRANGE."

"Haha. You'd better go get Daddy to buy you some new insults," Nagisa said, smiling sweetly.

When Scorpius left, I turned to Nagisa and asked. "Do you think he did it?"

"No." She sounded certain.

"How do you know?"  
She hesitated. "I can use Legilimency."

"You mean like, mind-reading? Isn't that real high level stuff?"

She blushed. "Not really. Well, I mean it is a little complex, but it's easy once you've gotten the hang of it."

I smiled at her. "Just as long as you don't use it on me."

"Maybe I already have." My blood ran cold for a second, but then she smiled to let me know she was joking.

After class, Professor Talomancer asked me to deliver a special fertilizer to Professor Longbottom at the Herbology greenhouse on the way to Care of Magical Creatures.

"I'll go with you," Nagisa offered.

"Don't you have Divination next?" I asked. "It's on the other side of the school."

"No; I've dropped Divination and opted for Care of Magical Creatures instead."

"But you were brilliant!" I protested. "Professor Trelawney raved about your Seeing Eye or whatever. She said you were one of the most prescient Seers she had ever met."

"I know; I didn't want to disappoint her. But I don't set much stock in prophecies. The future is unknowable. You must forge your path yourself, relying on your own talents to succeed."

I looked at her thoughtfully. Something about that speech sounded very familiar.

Nagisa can use Legilimency? What other surprises might the characters of Voldemort's Heir have up their sleeves? And what was familiar about Nagisa's speech on prophecies? Stay tuned to find out!


	10. Burned

This is definitely my favorite chapter to date, please read it and let me know what you think.

Chapter 10: Burned

It felt strange to be with Nagisa outside of Potions. Her hair sparkled in the sunlight like tinsel at Christmas-time, though her fair complexion appeared more suited for the darkness of the dungeons than for the oppressive sunlight of the grounds. She put her hand over her eyes to shield them from the brightness.

"How long has it been since you've last seen sunlight?" I teased her.

"Hmph. Just because you've only seen me in the dungeons… For your information, I love the outdoors. I can't stay out long though, my skin burns too easily," she added ruefully.

"Haven't you ever heard of sunscreen?" I asked.

She looked at me blankly.

"It's something Muggles use to protect themselves from the sunlight," I explained. For a second, I imagined myself applying sunscreen to the creamy skin of her delicate face, her long neck, her graceful arms, her thin, supple legs. I blushed. Fortunately, Nagisa didn't seem to notice.

"Ah. We have the Impervious charm, but it wears off quickly," she said.

"What about this?" I stopped, ripped a branch off the nearest tree, and Transfigured it into a parasol.

"Here," I said, handing it to Nagisa.

"Thank you, Tom," she replied.

After Nagisa and I had delivered the fertilizer to Professor Longbottom, we made our way to Care of Magical Creatures. To my surprise, we ran into Ted, Lily, and James outside of the Forbidden Forest.

"Hey guys," I said. "I thought you were taking Advanced Wizarding Administration."

"Hi Tom," Ted said slowly, with a wary glance toward Nagisa. James snorted and Lily said nothing.

"You know, I think I've forgotten a book back at Potions class. I'd better go get it," Nagisa said. A second later she was gone.

I rounded on Ted. "What was _that_ about?!" I demanded.

"You didn't tell me you were friends with Nagisa Black," said Ted. It sounded like an accusation.

"I didn't know she _had_ any friends," Lily muttered.

"What's wrong with that?" I asked, glaring at Lily.

"Nothing," Ted said quickly. "It's just that Nagisa never seemed interested in making friends. She spends all of her time alone in the library."

"So she studies a lot. Very suspicious." I said sarcastically.

"Yeah, cause Moste Potent Dark Magick is right up there on the DADA reading list," Lily shot back.

"You have to know what you are up against in order to fight it," I said coldly. "Even Mad-Eye said so."

James snorted again.

"D' you have a problem?!"

"No," he said. "I don't care if you want to snog a Death Eater."

My fist moved of its own accord. The next thing I knew, James was swearing loudly and clutching his nose, and my right hand hurt like the devil.

"Don't you _ever_ use that word again," I said, shaking with fury.

And the plot thickens! Tom's friends don't seem to like each other much, and our main character is caught in the crossfire. Who should Tom trust, if anyone? Stay tuned for Chapter 11: Snakespeak.


	11. Slytherin's Curse

Note: I decided to split one chapter into 2 yet again. I know people say I have very short chapters, but I like them short. Makes them easy to get through, I think, both on the reading and writing end. When I finish I will have like 40 chapters for 5,000 words, lol. The new title for this chapter is Slytherin's Curse.

Chapter 11: Slytherin's Curse

I wasn't looking forward to my next Care of Magical Creatures class with Lily, Ted, James, and Nagisa. None of my Gryffindor friends had spoken to me since I had hit James, and Nagisa had been avoiding me in Potions. Yet Monday came, and I had to resign myself to the inevitable. _At least things can't get any worse_, I thought.

I spotted Nagisa standing under a giant tree, a bit apart from the Gryffindors and Slytherins in our Care of Magical Creatures class. She wasn't meeting my eyes, but she _was _carrying the parasol I'd made for her. My heart leapt.

_Maybe she hasn't given up on me yet._

The thought gave me courage.

"Nagisa?"  
"Hello Tom."

The seconds ticked by. Neither of us said anything.

"Aren't you going with your friends?" she asked, inclining her head toward Ted, Lily, and James.

"No," I replied, holding up my injured hand. "We're not speaking at the moment."

"What happened to your hand?"  
"I punched James. I don't think I did it right though; I didn't expect it to _hurt_ this much. Good thing I'm left-handed," I said with a grim smile.

"Here, let me see it."

I held up my hand and she took it in both of hers. She withdrew her wand from the pocket of her robes, tapped my hand and whispered "Episkey."

The pain disappeared as my flesh rearranged itself into something resembling a hand.

"Thanks," I said gratefully. "I'm no great shakes at healing spells."

She smiled. "You did quite a number on poor Potter. I saw him earlier and thought someone had put an engorging charm on his face. Did you get detention?"  
"No, James claimed that a Bludger broke his nose during Quiddich practice."  
She laughed. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. James Potter has an ego the size of a house."

I began to hope that this would be the end of it, but then it came. The question I had been dreading.

"So, what did they say about me?" she asked. Her tone was light, but she could not completely conceal her curiosity or her pain.

I felt it best to be honest.

"Ted and Lily said you were studying Dark Magic," I began.

"And?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"And James called you a Death Eater," I finished reluctantly, leaving the snogging bit out.

Did I want to snog Nagisa? I thought, momentarily distracted. I snuck a glance at her. She was looking at me thoughtfully, trying to put her thoughts in order. She was wearing her hair pulled back today, exposing her long, graceful neck and slender shoulders. The answer was yes, definitely.

I blushed. After a few excruciating moments, I said, "I know you're not a Death Eater, obviously, but are you… I mean have you -?" I couldn't finish.

"You want to know if I have studied the Dark Arts," she said. Her voice was flat. It wasn't a question.

I hesitated. I would like to have blind faith in Nagisa, but the truth was, there were so many things I didn't know about her. Despite all the time we had spent together, she was still a mystery to me.

"Yes," I whispered.

In one fluid motion, Nagisa emptied the contents of her schoolbag onto the grass. She picked up one of her books and held it up to me so I could read the title.

"Hogwarts: A History" she said, replacing the book in her bag.

She did the same for the rest of her books. By the time she was finished shame colored my cheeks. I felt extremely foolish.

"You see?" said she. "I have nothing to hide.

It took a second for my mouth to work.

"Nagisa, I'm … very sorry."

"It's okay. I guess that's the curse of being a Slytherin. People always think you're reading Dark Arts books," she said with a sad little smile. She looked proud and beautiful, yet oddly vulnerable. I fought the urge to put my arms around her.

"Do you believe me now?" she asked.

Will Tom decide to give up his Gryffindor friendships and align himself with Nagisa? Read on to find out.


	12. Snakespeak

Note: Sorry for the delay in these 2 chapters, it was equal parts laziness and writer's block. Btw, I know the language used to talk to snakes is called Parseltongue, I didn't forget. I just made the title of this chapter Snakespeak because I liked the alliteration.

Chapter 12: Snakespeak

Nagisa's query hovered in the air, unanswered.

_Yes_, I thought, but before I could say so, someone shouted "Wulfy!"

"I told you to call me Professor Hagrid," a gruff voice answered.

Professor Wulfric Maximus Hagrid, son of Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime, was our Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He resembled his mother in physical appearance, but he inherited his father's friendly manner and love of all things dangerous and furry. Today, he was carrying a small metal bucket and wearing a huge snake around his neck like a feather boa.

Several girls screamed when they saw it, but not Nagisa. She stared at the snake with a look of fierce concentration, as if trying to master a particularly difficult spell.

"This here's a Peruvian Venomtip," said Hagrid. " 'is venom can paralyze yeh, but it's very valuable as an antidote to most poisons. Today we're going to practice milking 'im. Yeh just stroke 'is back like this to calm 'im down," Hagrid continued, petting the snake, "and pull 'is tail like this to release the venom." He deftly yanked the snake's tail, and it spit a pint of venom into the metal bucket.

"Ok, now yeh try. Any volunteers?" Hagrid asked hopefully.

My classmates exchanged uneasy glances. I was pretty sure they well all thinking what I was thinking. _This is much too dangerous for Care of Magical Creatures class_.

"Nobody?" Hagrid asked, crestfallen.

Nagisa raised her hand. "I'll do it."

She walked over to the snake, petted it as Hagrid had done, and pulled its tail. It spit more venom into the bucket. The class breathed a collective sigh of relief as Nagisa returned unharmed.

"Ok, now line up behind Mr. Malfoy and wait yer turn ter milk 'im. 'ee's very sensitive around the eyes, so yeh'll need to avoid touching 'is face. If yeh do, he'll go beserk, and the only way to calm 'im down is to sing him a lullaby. In Parseltongue, o' course."

The class gulped and Malfoy turned white.

Hagrid clapped Malfoy on the back. "Ok next up."

The expression on Malfoy's face was priceless. But before Malfoy could start milking the snake, there was a loud screeching noise, followed by the sound of muffled scurrying.

"Oh no," Hagrid said. "Witherwings has gotten into the Horklumps again."

He rushed away, yelling over his shoulder, "I'll be right back, class. Don't touch the Venomtip without me!"

Malfoy nearly fainted with relief at his unexpected deliverance, but the rest of the class looked none too pleased about being left alone with a dangerous magical creature.

Fortunately, the snake seemed to have no intention of ravaging us. It looked around lazily, closed its eyes, and fell asleep. As the minutes dragged on, my classmates forgot about the snake and began chattering amongst themselves. It was a beautiful day, and I suspected many of them were glad for the excuse to be outdoors. Meanwhile the snake slumbered on. It didn't look as dangerous when it was asleep. The sight of the sleeping snake emboldened Malfoy, who seemed determined to make up for his earlier display of weakness. He walked over to the snake, flanked by his mates Gabbe and Coyle, and put his hand on the top of its head.

"This thing isn't so tough," he bragged. "Me and my dad once took out a whole nest of them."

A couple Slytherin girls standing nearby looked at Malfoy in admiration, but Nagisa said,

"Then you must have been mistaken. Peruvian Venomtips don't live in nests; they are solitary creatures by nature."

Malfoy glared at her.

"Well these ones lived in a nest," he said defensively. Nagisa snorted.

One of the Slytherin girls swooned and clutched Malfoy's arm. "Oooh! Show us how you did it, Scorpius!" she begged.

"Yeah, so I brandished my wand like this," Malfoy said, drawing his wand. "And I lunged forward like this, and-"

Malfoy jabbed his wand at the snake, accidentally poking its eye.

Several things happened at once. The snake lunged for Malfoy, his Slytherin fangirl screamed, and Nagisa grabbed my robes and pulled me out of the way. Malfoy attempted to cast a Sleeping Spell on the Venomtip, but instead of putting the snake to sleep it shot it up into the air. It landed on top of a Gryffindor girl's head. She screamed and shook her head furiously to dislodge it. When it hit the ground, it went for Ted, but was stopped in its tracks by a powerful Shield Charm cast by Lily Potter.

Remembering what Hagrid has told us earlier, a strange idea popped into my head. I felt absurd, but I was ready to try anything at this point.

"Rockaby snakie, on the tree top" I sang. "When the wind blows, the er- snakie will rock."

To my intense surprise, the snake calmed down and coiled itself into a ball at my feet. Relief washed over me, until I saw that my classmates were staring at me as if _I _had attacked them.

"Snakes will bow before him," someone whispered. The pandemonium of a few seconds before had been replaced by utter silence.

"What?" I asked loudly. "Do I have something on my face?"

No one spoke.

"It's the Prophecy," Lily said finally, her voice shaking. "From his master's ashes, the Heir to Lord Voldemort will arise. Snakes will bow before him. Muggles will cower before him. And only Himself will know him."

"So, let me get this straight," I said calmly, fixing my eyes on Lily. "I just _saved_ you from that snake, and now you think I'm- what? _Voldemort's spawn_?"

She looked away. "I didn't say that."

I looked around at my classmates, no, my enemies? "And do you also believe that I'm in collusion with Voldemort?"

No one said yes, _but no one said no either_.

"Brilliant," I snapped. "If Voldemort does come back, I hope he devours you all."

Is our main character truly the son of Voldemort, or simply the victim of rumors and prejudices? Read on to find out.


	13. The Serpent Queen

Note: This chapter is more mature than the others I have written thusfar, I even thought about rating it M. But in the end I decided T was fine. Please review and tell me what you think =)

Chapter 13: The Serpent Queen

Half an hour later, I found myself wandering alone around the Forbidden Forest. I didn't much care that it was rumored to contain hordes of dangerous magical creatures; my recent experiences had led me to distrust rumors. Even now, the rumor that I was the Heir to Lord Voldemort was probably spreading through Hogwarts like Fiendfyre.

"Damn it!"

I wanted to hit something, but remembered my healing hand just in time. Instead, I slumped against the nearest tree trunk, put my head in my hands, and started to cry. I swiped at my eyes viciously, thinking

_God, how pathetic I am! Nothing to do, save sit here alone in the Forbidden Forest and cry. No enemy to fight, no friends to speak of. If only I actually _was_ Voldemort's Heir. Then, I could just curse them all and have done with it._

_But how do you know that you're not Voldemort's Heir_, said a nasty voice in the back of my mind. _What if they're right and_ you're _the one that's wrong?_

_Just because an opinion is popular doesn't make it correct._

_It could be true_. _You don't know who your real father is_.

_Yes, and it also could be false_, I thought fiercely. _If I don't believe in myself, who will?_

_You can fight fate. But fate will win._

I was so consumed by my thoughts, I failed to notice the sound of footsteps and jumped as a voice spoke my name.

"Tom?"  
It was Nagisa. She stood a bit behind me, her face in shadow behind the parasol. She closed it and leaned it against a tree. Light filtered through the canopy of trees, staining her face and hair with patches of sunlight. She looked at me with a mixture of empathy and concern. I turned away in shame. I was ashamed that I had doubted her, ashamed that she had caught me in a moment of weakness, ashamed that I wasn't worthy of her and ashamed that I wanted her anyway.

"Go away," I whispered.

She ignored my request and took my hands in hers.

"I think it's a beautiful gift," she said softly, a touch of longing in her voice. "It's like talking to the Gods."

"The Gods?" I asked, startled out of my depression.

"Did you know that Salazar Slytherin's ancestors used to worship snakes as gods?" Nagisa asked.

I shook my head.

"It's true; they were led by a witch named Nagisa who was said to be part snake herself. The Muggles called her Medusa. Some said she had hair the color of moonlight as eyes as red as a cobra's. Others said she had eyes that could turn men to stone and hair made of snakes."

"Would you like me to check for you?" I joked.

"Check?" she asked. She was so adorable when she was puzzled.

"To see if your hair is made out of snakes," I explained.

She laughed, but she let down her hair and invited me to come closer.

I stepped forward and ran my hands through her beautiful silver hair. It felt like liquid silk beneath my fingertips. Suddenly, I was very aware of her sweet breath on my neck and her warm heart beating next to mine. I smiled a bit. "No snakes," I said lightly.

Nagisa smiled too, but when she looked up I could see the craving in her eyes.

"Let's see if I can make you hard" she whispered as our bodies met.

Nagisa and Tom's relationship is heating up, and for the first time, it looks as though our main character has got a girlfriend. But will this new closeness with Nagisa result in further estrangement from Tom's Gryiffindor pals? Read on to find out.


	14. Caught

Thanks to all my reviewers: David Fishwick, Obsidian Sage, Alliriyan, Nielispirn, Voldy's Pink Teddy, red neo ranger, and Cassandra. Thanks especially to Alaina for reviewing nearly every chapter. I really mean it, without you guys this wouldn't have even gotten written.

Chapter 14: Caught

From then on, Nagisa and I were inseparable. We ate together, sat together, studied together, snogged together. We made an odd couple in the eyes of our fellow students, her in Slytherin green and me in Gryffindor red. Because of this, we attracted a fair amount of stares. For once, I didn't mind the attention. Conviction made me brave. We usually walked side by side or held hands, but whenever a student seemed to show undue disapproval, we weren't above snogging in the hallways to prove our point. Damnably beautiful as always, Nagisa also attracted a fair amount of male attention. At first, most of the older Slytherin guys couldn't understand why Nagisa would choose a nobody like me (a disbelief I sometimes shared), but she deflected their advances gracefully until they were finally forced to concede defeat. And the dreams came back more vivid than ever.

Every night was different; every night was more terrible than the last. This particular night, I dreamed that Mandy was sobbing, begging me not to deny her. I opened my mouth to comfort her, to assure her that I would never do such a thing, when her flesh rippled and turned into scales. Snake-Mandy lunged at me, hissing, "You can't deny your blood." Dream-Tom searched his pockets. Something silver and shiny fell out of my hand and clattered to the floor. I bolted awake, feeling as though I had forgotten something important.

"That's right!" I said aloud. "It's Valentine's Day." I pulled on my school robes and rummaged in my trunk for the little silver box that contained my present to Nagisa.

After I retrieved it, I set off for Charms. The classroom buzzed with nervous energy. Everywhere I looked, people were conducting whispered side conversations. Professor Bundywort was nowhere to be seen. Before I had time to wonder at the cause of the commotion, I overheard Patricia Patil say to Lily Potter "Did you hear? _They caught N.V._"

I nearly dropped my schoolbag.

But Lily seemed calm, skeptical even.

"Oh? Who supposedly caught N.V. and how do you know about it?"

"McGonagall caught 'em red handed when they tried to do the same to old Mrs. Filch. Her whole family are Squibs y' know. Could hear Filch's screams clear down t' the Slytherin dorms."

Something about Patricia's story bothered me; fortunately, Lily picked up on it too. "Them?" she asked.

"Yeah, Gabbe and Coyle."

Suddenly, I shared Lily's skepticism.

"There's no way Gabbe and Coyle could be N.V. They're too stupid, for one thing. Someone else must be pulling the strings." I said, forgetting that I wasn't supposed to be listening and that Lily and I were no longer speaking to each other.

Lily slammed her Charms book down on the desk and turned around to face me. "You know what, _Marvolo_, I don't think she was talking to you."

"Yeah well, it's a free country," I replied. "Or at least it was."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily asked, her color rising.

"It means that if you've got a drop of Slytherin blood in your veins, the Potter Patrol is liable to come and arrest you for being a Death Eater."

Lily laughed, a bitter sarcastic sound. "Oh not that again." She lowered her voice into a passable imitation of mine. "I'm Tom the Emo. No one likes me, no one _understands_ me. Everybody _hates_ me just 'cause my mum was a Death Eater. I'm going to go cry in a corner and slit my wrists."

My eyes narrowed as Patricia giggled sycophantically.

"At least I'm not a spoiled, selfish, prejudiced, little _bitch_."

Patricia stopped laughing.

"C'mon Pat, let's sit somewhere else." Lily picked up her books and left, turning back only once to glare at me with an expression of deepest loathing. I matched her fury and added some of my own. She was the first to look away.

It figured that Professor Bundywort would choose that exact moment to rush into the room and begin class. All in all, it was my worst Charms lesson ever. Without Nagisa to soothe me (she had Herbology first period), my anger raged unabated. I wasn't the only one who hadn't Vanished my canary at the end of the class, but I _was _the only one who had managed to Explode it into a million pieces. I felt a bit cowed after that; I had never relished the smell of blood. Professor Bundywort walked past my desk and Vanished the remains of my bird with a tight-lipped scowl, while writing something that looked suspiciously like a zero in his grade book. Too tired to care, I rested my head on the desk and counted the minutes until I would get to see Nagisa in Potions.

Can Gabbe and Coyle be the mysterious N.V.? What will Nagisa say about the news? Stay tuned for chapter 15 to find out!


	15. Confused

Note: This is far and away the longest chapter I have ever written for any story. I hope it makes up somewhat for the Warcraft delay :P Also, I recently changed the title to Confused; its more appropriate for the chapter than the previous title was.

Chapter 15: Confused

Nagisa and I were the first ones there, as usual. The mere sight of her was enough to lift my spirits. I walked across the room and greeted her with a kiss.

"How are you today?" I asked, sitting beside her at our usual table and unpacking my supplies.

She smiled tiredly up at me and rested her head on my shoulder. "As well as can be supposed. Tom, love, could you loan me some of your boomslang skin? We're to make a Drought of Living Death today, and there's none left in the cupboard."

I looked at her in surprise. "What happened to your potions ingredients?"

"Oh silly me, I lost them," she said, smiling with false cheerfulness. "But I'm sure they'll turn up…"

"Bullshit." I retorted. Her eyes widened. "I know you well enough to tell when you're lying. Don't you trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

She looked down and said nothing.

At length, she heaved a heavy sigh and said, "All right. But you'll have to promise me that you won't fly off the handle."

"I can't promise that without knowing what happened."

She sighed again and placed her schoolbag on top of the table. Holding her nose, she lifted a book out by the corner. It was covered in Stinksap.

"They left a note," she continued, handing it to me.

The note said "Death Eaters stink!" in a loopy, crazy scrawl, an amateurish attempt to disguise the perpetrator's handwriting. I actually laughed. "You've _got_ to be kidding me. What are they, twelve?"

Nagisa smiled as well. "It doesn't appear to be the work of a hardened criminal." Then she sighed. "But it's still a pain. They used the new Weasley product, you know the one resistant to Vanishing spells? So I can't use any of my books until I have time to get them cleaned."

"It certainly seems like _some _students like to point fingers," I said, thinking of Lily.

"If only it was just the students," Nagisa muttered.

"What?" I asked. "You've had a run-in with a teacher?"  
Nagisa slid closer to me on the bench and wrapped her arm around my waist. "So you don't make any sudden movements," she whispered into my shoulder. I frowned as I put my arm around her. "I'm not such a slave to my emotions. And don't think you can distract me by cuddling," I added.

Even though I couldn't see her face, I could feel her smile. I could also sense her frown. "In Herbology, Scorpius Malfoy was trying to extract an illegal substance out of a Venomous Tentacula. I interfered when the thing was about to bite his arm off, but Professor Longbottom saw me with the vial of Tentacula Venom and assumed the worst."

"That's horrible!" I exclaimed, incensed. "Didn't you tell him what happened?"  
"I tried to," she said. "But Scorpius wasn't exactly inclined to corroborate my story, was he? Besides," she continued. "Professor Longbottom never did like me very much."

"Why?" I asked, surprised. "What's not to like?"

"You're sweet," she smiled. Then, "But he _does_ have a reason."

I tensed, waiting for her to continue.

"My mother, Bellatrix Lestrange, tortured many people while in the service of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Most of them recovered, eventually. But there were two young wizards who did not. They spent the rest of their lives in Saint Mungo's Hospital. Their names were Frank and Alice Longbottom."

I gasped. "Longbottom's- ?"  
"Yes, Professor Longbottom's parents. I believe he has tried very hard throughout the semester not to let his hatred for my mother prejudice him against me, but it _is _difficult when confronted by an illegal vial of Tentacula venom," she said sadly.

Seeing her look so lonely and defeated filled me with righteous fury. The teachers of Hogwarts were supposed to hold themselves above petty feuds and treat _all_ their students fairly and equally. Yet, why must so many of them hold us responsible for the crimes our parents had committed? I had thought Professor Longbottom was different, but I must have been wrong about him, as I had been wrong about Ted and Lily.

I cleared my throat to speak, though I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to say. Before I had gathered my thoughts, Nagisa picked up a small silver box that I had accidentally unpacked with my Potions ingredients.

"What's this?" she asked.

I blushed. It seemed so long ago that I had worried about silly things like Valentine's Day presents. But as I watched Nagisa stare curiously at the little box, all my anxieties returned.

"Well, erm, today is, you know, Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd-"

I trailed off as Nagisa threw her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek. "Oh, Tom," she whispered, "It's beautiful."

I had bought her a slender silver bracelet shaped like a snake. Its ruby eyes looked disconcertingly lifelike in the flickering light of the dungeon classroom. I shuddered.

"Although, it looks really expensive," she said, concerned. "I hope you didn't spend a lot of money."

I paid 18 galleons, my allowance for the entire school year.

"Not much," I replied.

"Good," she said with a devilish grin. "Because my present for you didn't cost a Knut."

I blushed again. "You don't need to give me anything."

"Nonsense," she said, rummaging in her pockets. "Here it is."

She handed me a smooth, silver pocket watch with the initials S.B. engraved on the clasp. I opened it to reveal an old photograph of two young wizards dressed in Gryffindor robes.

They were both very handsome. The one on the left had lively hazel eyes and messy black hair, while the one on the right had short black hair and gray eyes. The boy with gray eyes wore a defiant, devil-may-care expression that didn't quite match the carefree happiness of the other. I recognized that expression. It was the look of someone who was attempting to fight fate.

"It belonged to my uncle Sirius," Nagisa said quietly. "If he had met you, I think he would have wanted you to have it."

"Which one is he?" I asked, though I knew the answer before she pointed him out. We had the same eyes.

After looking at the photograph a second longer, I glanced at the time and received a shock.

"Gisa, do you know if it's got the right time?"

"I think so, why?"

"Because according to this watch, class should have started ten minutes ago."

Nagisa arched an eyebrow in polite surprise. I looked back at her blankly. Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps. I moved to put some space between us.

"Looks like we're about to find out" Nagisa whispered.

The door opened and a woman gasped. The Headmistress was standing in the doorway, her hand to her heart. "My goodness, you startled me. What are you two doing here?"

"Er- going to Potions?" I answered tentatively.

McGonagall regarded me with amazement. "Didn't you hear that class was cancelled?"

Nagisa and I looked at each other.

"Er, no. Why's that?" I asked.

McGonagall looked from me to Nagisa as though debating whether to tell us off. To my surprise, she said, "Professor Talomancer is busy interrogating two students who have been accused of vandalism."

Nagisa swore. The headmistress and I stared at her.

"Sorry Headmistress," she said. "It's my bag, it's… leaking."

Sure enough, Stinksap was oozing from Nagisa's schoolbag onto the dungeon floor.

Nagisa bent to pick it up, but the Headmistress said "Leave it dear, I'm sure we'll be able to find you some new things. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to fetch Romilda some materials." Holding her nose, she bustled off to grab some ingredients from the Potions Professor's office.

"Come on," Nagisa said. "We'd better go."

I picked up my supplies and followed her out of the room. Outside, Nagisa glanced at her watch. "I'm off to study for an exam. See you, love," she said, squeezing my hand and walking away. When she was halfway down the hallway, she turned and ran back.

"Tom, may I borrow your Transfiguration book after this lesson? You know how Professor Greyling gets if we forget them."

"Sure," I said. "But I don't have it with me; it's up in my room."

"That's fine," she said, standing on tiptoe and kissing me on the cheek. "I only need it for a second."

After she left, I realized she had forgotten to ask for the password.

Who vandalized Nagisa's schoolbag? Is Professor Longbottom really prejudiced? Stay tuned to find out!


	16. Loyalty

Here's chapter 16, enjoy.

Chapter 16: Loyalty

After Nagisa left, I headed to the library. I took out my History of Magic notes and attempted to study, but my mind was too full of all that I had heard. _The Goblin Rebellion of 1642 began when Bodrod the Bearded was falsely accused of pilfering gold from Merlin the Magnificent… _Nagisa had been falsely accused of stealing Tentacula venom from the Herbology greenhouse…_Bilfric, Bodrod's chief of staff was captured and interrogated about a crime that hadn't taken place_… Gabbe and Coyle were being interrogated about the vandalism, but they didn't have anything to do with it…_This paved the way for poor relations between wizards and goblins…_N.V. had exacerbated the preexisting tensions between Slytherins and Gryffindors…

Sunlight streamed through the window and onto my notebook. It was difficult to read through the glare. The library was warm and still and silent. God, I was tired. I decided to rest my eyes for a second… and woke up two hours later. Shit! How had I managed to sleep through a double period? I jumped up, hurriedly packed my books, and rushed off to Herbology. My head ached, my stomach grumbled, and I felt like skipping, but I needed to speak to Professor Longbottom in order to vindicate Nagisa.

I arrived at Greenhouse Three ten minutes late and out of breath. Professor Longbottom was in the midst of explaining how to properly water a Venomous Tentacula.

"You're late Tom," he said, with a disapproving look. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

I took a deep breath. Losing my temper now would not help Nagisa.

"Sorry, sir."

Longbottom nodded and returned to teaching. After he was finished giving instructions, he divided the class into groups and directed each group to a Tentacula. Much to my chagrin, I was assigned to work alongside Ted and Lily. Ted once again found himself playing the diplomat, as Lily and I refused to speak to each other for the entire lesson.

When class ended, I approached Professor Longbottom at the back of the greenhouse. He was watering a particularly large and vicious Tentacula. I gulped.

"May I have a word with you, sir?"

"Certainly Tom," he said, putting down the watering can. "What's on your mind?"

"I heard about an… incident that happened this morning in your class. My girlfriend Nagisa-"

"I have nothing to say about that," he said brusquely. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

I was stunned by his absolute refusal to discuss the subject. "But she didn't do anything wrong!" I burst out before I could stop myself.

He sighed. "Naturally, she would tell you that, but I can assure you that is not the case. What Nagisa did was very irresponsible, even criminal-"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, she didn't do it! But you won't even listen to me!"

Longbottom's eyes widened, then narrowed. There was a long silence, in which he appeared to struggle with his emotions. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. "What did she tell you?"

"Oh, she told me _all_ about you," I said, my voice vibrating with suppressed rage. "She told me what her mum did to your parents. She told me how Bellatrix tortured them until they lost all grip on reality, until they stopped caring for you, their only son. And she told me how you were acting like it was _her_ fault, like _she_ was the one who-"

"That is _enough_, Mr. Carrow!" Longbottom's voice was sharper than I had ever heard it.

A shadow of pain flitted across his face, and for a second I felt a stab of remorse. Then, he wordlessly passed me a detention slip, and my hatred returned.

"May I go now, _professor_?" I spat.

Professor Longbottom made no move to stop me, so I turned to go. But when I reached the door, he said, in a voice like acid, "For your information, Mr. Carrow, I gave Miss Black a detention because I caught her trying to break into my office."

What's the truth behind Nagisa's run in with Professor Longbottom? Was he lying or just mistaken? Stay tuned to find out.


	17. Traitor

Note: The ending to this chapter has been changed as of 4 pm Thursday July 30, 2009. If you read this chapter before that, please read the last bit at the very end. It used to be the first part of chapter 18, but I added it to chapter 17 to improve the ending.

By the way, does anyone know if it is possible to edit a chapter after you have added it as part of a story?

Chapter 17: Traitor

I returned to Hogwarts in a daze. Why had Professor Longbottom accused Nagisa of breaking into his office? He must have been mistaken; Nagisa would never do such a thing. It didn't make sense. Aside from believing her to be an honest person, she had no motive. Such a rash and dangerous action would only serve to make the students of Hogwarts more suspicious of her than they already were.

I arrived back at Gryffindor Tower deep in thought. As I climbed the steps to the boy's dormitory, I was distracted by the sound of raised voices. Apparently I wasn't the only one who was having a bad day. As I rounded the corner, I was astonished to find Ted and Nagisa shouting at each other at the top of their lungs.

"-the hell do you think you're doing in my room?!"  
"_Your_ room? It's Tom's room, too, and he invited me in! Didn't you, Tom?" she rounded on me as soon as she saw me coming down the hallway.

"Wha- er- yeah," I said, remembering our earlier conversation. "She needed to borrow a book I left up here."

"See?" Nagisa shrieked. "You ought to get your facts straight before you accuse people of stealing!"

"Well, _Tom_ had no business inviting anyone into _our_ room without telling us first!" Ted bellowed. "He knows we all hate you!"

"Wait a minute, that's my girlfriend you're talking to!" I yelled, my temper rising.

"Yes, and if only you had better taste, none of us would have to put up with her."

Nagisa chuckled. "Better taste, huh?"

Without warning, she grabbed the front of my robes, pushed me against the wall, and kissed me fiercely. I responded in kind, snogging every bit of her I could reach, while her hands fluttered over my body like hummingbird wings. Ted gave a grunt of disgust and went back into our room, slamming the door behind him. Nagisa and I broke apart, breathing hard.

"Asshole!" she said fervently.

"Yeah, but I'm not complaining" I grinned. I pulled her closer and whispered into her ear, "Would you like to find some place a little more private and pick up where we left off?" She stiffened and pulled away. Her eyes burned, and she shook with a strange sort of excitement.

"Not now, Tom, okay? I've got something… It's really important… see you!"

I stood alone in the hallway and watched her go, ashamed of how much I wanted her to stay.

I could hardly go into my dorm room after Nagisa left, so I nipped by the kitchen to ask the house elves for some lunch and returned to the library to study goblin wars. At half past five, I packed my things and set off for my detention, feeling as though I had finally made some progress. _At least today wasn't a total waste_, I thought.

After I left the library, I turned right towards the stairs. I was walking past Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when I heard a strange noise. It sounded like something large and heavy was being dragged across the floor. I stopped to listen and heard someone curse. The voice was male. _What's a bloke doing in the ladies bathroom? _I thought. I drew my wand and crept closer to the door.

"_Careful_, Gabbe," a boy hissed. No, not just any boy. I knew that voice…

I put my hand on the door handle and slipped inside as Malfoy continued berating Gabbe. What I saw took my breath away. The object Gabbe had been pushing was none other than_ the unconscious body of Lily Potter_. I raised my wand.

"_Umbravae_" a woman's voice whispered behind me.

The last thing I saw before I passed out was an oddly familiar pair of crimson eyes.

I came to in a small, dimly lit room. It smelled of dirt and refuse, and the walls were covered with strange, sinister carvings. Someone had propped me up against the wall in the left corner of the room. My hands were secured behind my back with thick ropes. My wand was gone.

As my eyes adjusted to the murky darkness, I realized that I was not the only hostage.

Lily, James, Ted, Trevor, and a few other Gryffindors were huddled together in the opposite corner. They were bound as I was, wandless and helpless. Unlike me, their mouths were sealed shut by a spell. Why was I the only one who was not magically gagged?

"Oy, Nagisa," Scorpius called. "He's waking up."

Nagisa emerged from the darkness like a goddess descending from her throne. I was nearly overcome by joy and relief as I registered that she still had a wand in her hand. Surely now we would be rescued! Before long, she would be back in my arms and we would laugh about our adventure in the sewers.

"Nagisa, thank God! I don't know what's happening- everyone's gone mad! Malfoy, Gabbe, and Coyle were abducting people, and when I tried to stop them, I was knocked unconscious."

Nagisa stopped and stared at me with a curious expression on her face. She cocked her head to one side as if she couldn't understand what I was saying.

I struggled against my bindings. "Help me," I begged.

She didn't move.

My confidence faltered. Something was very wrong.

"Nagisa?"

She snorted. I stared at her incredulously as her confused expression faded and she began to laugh.

"Nagisa, are you all right?" I asked, alarmed.

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine. I just can't take it anymore! I knew you were an idiot, but this, this is too much!" She was elated. Her eyes were wild, and her features glowed with a fierce, bestial intensity.

I shrank from her in terror. "What- what do you mean?"

"I didn't come here to rescue you, Tom. _I was the one who abducted you_!"

What is Nagisa's secret? Why would she want to kidnap Tom? Stay tuned for chapter 18: Villain!


	18. Villain

Note: In addition to being the longest chapter of my story, this was an extremely hard chapter to write, as I had to figure out how to tie ALL the loose ends together and still have the dialogue be coherent. It feels a bit like an info dump at the beginning, so please let me know if there is something I can take out to help the flow without the plot becoming confusing.

Also, be forewarned that this chapter contains some adult language and bits of graphic violence. I don't know if I can rate just one chapter mature without rating the entire story mature, if so, I would probably rate this one mature.

Chapter 18: Villain

I laughed nervously. "Gisa, love, if this is a joke, I don't understand…"

Her smile was pure evil. "Oh, its not a joke. I didn't intend to abduct you, but I'm not unpleased with the way it turned out. We'll finally get to have a nice long chat, free of interruptions," she said, nodding at the gagged Gryffindors. Seeing my shocked expression, she went on. "You see, I've been wanting to punish you for a long time. Do you have any idea, _Marvolo_, how it felt to have to listen to those ignorant blood traitors prattle on about you being Voldemort's Heir? _You_, who chose to reject the noble name Marvolo of the House of Gaunt, and instead call yourself by that filthy Muggle name? It's disgusting," she shuddered.

"You weren't so disgusted in the dormitory this afternoon," I said coolly.

"Were you born thick or did you hit your head as a child?" she snapped. "I never loved you. You were just a pawn to be used and discarded."

It couldn't possibly be true. Such a thing was too horrible for comprehension. I wished I knew a spell to bring back the sweet, gentle Nagisa that I had loved so much. But this was real life, and such a spell did not exist.

"Why?" I croaked, my throat dry as sandpaper. "Why did you do it?"

"Why? That's obvious. I wanted to bring back the glory days, when purebloods ruled the Ministry and Muggles cowered underfoot. I wished to return the Wizarding world to my father's era, the era of the Dark Lord Voldemort."

"How were you going to do that?" I asked, stalling for time. If I could just keep her talking, we would be fine. Professor Longbottom was sure to come looking for me when I didn't show up for my detention.

"First, I placed Gabbe and Coyle under the Imperius Curse and directed them to trash that horrid woman's Muggle shrine. Amidst the resulting confusion, I hatched my master plan."

"And what was that?"

"Do you remember when I told you about my namesake, Nagisa the Snake-Witch?"

I nodded.

"She commanded an army of serpents. I wish to resurrect the leader of that army, Sath'rah King of the Basilisks. For that, I needed sacrifices…" she smiled cruelly at the bound Gryffindors, "and I needed you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Or, more precisely, I needed this." She withdrew a small, silver-rimmed lens from the pocket of her robes. I gasped. She held the wutchamacallit in the palm of her hand.

"Give it back." I said quietly. "It was my mother's."

"Hmm, I don't think so," she sneered. "But I'll make a deal with you. Before I kill you, I'll show you what it does, since I'll bet you're just _dying_ to know. It's a talisman called the Serpensveritas, Latin for Serpent's Truth, and it's used for translating ancient documents into parseltongue."

"Ancient documents?"

"Yes, the books I stole from Professor Longbottom's office. They used to belong to my mother. She hid them before she died, but Harry Potter found them and gave them to his friend Neville Longbottom for safekeeping. These books contain the key to summoning Sath'rah."

"How did you smuggle them out? I thought he caught you in his office; that's why he gave you detention."

"Ah, that was a close call. He nearly caught me red-handed. Fortunately, I transfigured them into schoolbooks just in time. Old Neville wasn't able to prove I'd stolen anything."

"So, you got the summoning documents from Professor Longbottom this morning. But when did you steal the Serpensveritas, and how did you know I had it?"

"Did you know, Tom, that your mind is most vulnerable when you are asleep? For this reason, there is a branch of Legilimency called Somnency. A Somnens can search your mind as you sleep without needing to make direct eye contact. Of course, there _are _limitations. You can't roam the target's mind at will; you are limited to seeing what they see in their dreams. I suspected that you had what I wanted the second you set foot in Hogwarts, but I didn't know for sure until you dreamed about it."

So _that_ was why my dreams had felt so real; I had heard that Legilimens caused their targets to re-experience memories as they were coaxed out. I shuddered to think that Nagisa had been inside my mind all this time. I felt violated, as if a sacred part of my being had been defiled.

"Naturally, I made plans to seize the Serpensveritas the second it appeared in your dreams," she continued. "I knew you had what I wanted, but I couldn't figure out _where_ you kept it. So I drenched my books with Stinksap, wrote a fake note, and concocted some cock-and-bull story to give me an excuse to search your room. It worked like a charm; you invited me in with no questions asked. I began to fear my plan might fail when Ted caught me rifling through your belongings, but fortunately, you showed up at exactly the right moment. As I was leaving, it occurred to me that you might keep it on your person out of some nascent notion of how important it was. So I searched you. While we were snogging! Made it out to be some little act of _passion_ and you fell for it hook line and sinker." She snorted. "Lucky for me you think with your cock."

"Stop it," I whispered. My voice was shaking. "I don't want to hear any more."

"Ha!" She barked. "You're just jealous! It was _brilliant_, wasn't it? You had no idea! I don't even need to read your mind; it's written all over your face." Nagisa shrieked with glee. "If Father were here, he would be so proud of me. He would call me his most loyal, most faithful, most _cunning _servant."

"You're right," I said simply.

Nagisa stared at me in shock.

"You _are_ smart. Smarter than me. But you're also very stupid," I continued. "I thought you knew what you were missing, but you keep moving father and farther away from it."

"And what am I missing?" she sneered.  
"Love. A place to belong."

She put her face in her hands. For a second, I thought she was crying, but then she removed her hands and it became clear that she was laughing. She looked quite deranged.

"Love? You think I lack love? My foster parents loved me; they told me so every night before they tucked me into bed. But that didn't stop me from murdering them in their sleep! Love is a weakness, Tom, one that blinds you to the faults of others and holds you back from attaining true power!"

I stared at her in horror.

"You're not even human," I whispered. "You're just an imitation of a human, an empty shell that's decayed and become infested with hatred and pride. In fact, I feel _sorry _for you."

She laughed even harder at this. "_You_, feel sorry for _me_? When _I'm _the one with the wand, the one with the power? If this is what the self-righteous say in their final moments, spare me! You'd do better to admit your hatred than to play the hero to the last!"

"I don't hate you," I whispered. Her eyes widened.

"_Crucio_!" She shrieked. "_Crucio_! _Crucio_! _Crucio_!"

The pain was indescribable. It felt as though my body were being stretched across the entire globe at the same time it was being compressed into the size of an atom. I heard strange, shrill cries, and it took me a moment to register that they were my own screams. When Nagisa finally released me, I fell to my knees and was violently sick. I was shaking so badly I found it hard to sit up. My thoughts turned to Neville's parents. For the first time, I could understand how this pain could drive someone insane. Had it been used on Nagisa?

She kicked me viciously in the side and I slipped and slid in my own vomit. She pulled me up by the hair and asked, "You hate me, don't you? I can see it in your eyes"

It was difficult not to hate, difficult not to admit my hatred. But it had become a battle of wills, and I refused to lose. "I… don't… hate… you," I gasped.

She released me and turned away. My whole body went limp with relief. "Malfoy, bring me the book," she said. Her voice was cold.

Malfoy didn't move.

"What're- what're you going to do with it?" he asked. He clutched the book tightly, his heart pounding.

"Kill the Mudbloods, of course," she said, smiling sweetly.

Still, Scorpius hesitated. "Gisa, I- I thought we were only going to scare them."

Nagisa's smile was chilling. "Of course, and what is more frightening to Mudbloods than to see the corpses of their filthy little friends?"

Scorpius backed away, grey eyes wide with fear.

"But they're- it's still-"

He opened and closed his mouth several times before he could summon the courage to whisper the word.

"Murder."

Nagisa snorted. "That word only applies to the slaughter of _true_ witches and wizards, not vermin like these. You're just like your father, a little coward who cowered in a corner while my mother sacrificed her _life _for the Dark Lord," she spat contemptuously. "But that won't happen this time, oh no. You like Muggles so much, you can die with them. _Petrificus totales_!!"

Malfoy keeled over, flat as a board.

After incapacitating Malfoy, Nagisa relieved him of his wand and of the book of summoning rituals.

"Bind him and put him with the others," she directed the Imperiused Coyle. Coyle showed no emotion as he betrayed his long-time friend and leader. But whether due to a trick of the light or a mistake in the spell, I could have sworn I saw Malfoy shed a single tear.

After torturing Tom and betraying Malfoy, what will Nagisa do next? Will Tom be able to overcome his lingering feelings for her in time to save his friends, or will he, quite literally, die of a broken heart? Stay tuned for the next chapter: Crisis!

Btw, I would really, REALLY like reviews on this chapter, guys. Specifically, I would like to know if 1) Nagisa being the villain was too obvious, or if it came as a complete and total shock to anyone. What I was going for is for readers to be surprised initially, but then remember the clues I put earlier in the story pointing to her being the villain (eg. Almost every other character except Tom seems to hate her pretty much the whole time).

Also, I would like to know:

2) Was Tom's reaction realistic considering all that he has been through, being betrayed and tortured by the woman he loved? I think I might have written him too calm in this scene.


	19. Crisis

A continuation of the epic battle between Tom and Nagisa. Enjoy!

Chapter 19: Crisis

Nagisa stashed Malfoy's wand in the pocket of her robes, opened the book of summoning rituals, and sat crosslegged next to a life-sized carving of a great serpent that adorned the North wall. She scanned the book with the Serpensveritas and began reading the words in Parseltongue as she went. It didn't take me long to realize that she was not a native speaker. She read slowly and paused in awkward places. Her speech had none of the rhythm and fluency that came to me naturally.

As she read, the carving on the wall appeared to respond to her voice. Its eyes glowed and its body writhed as if it were trying to escape from its stone prison. It was a terrifying sight. At first, I worried that she would unleash the monster upon us, but I gradually realized that we had nothing to fear. She could influence it somewhat, but it always stopped short of full activation. After her fourth consecutive failure, she swore and flung the book down at her feet.

I laughed, a harsh, cruel laugh that was not my own. "You can't do it, can you?" I taunted her.

"Shut up!" she shrieked.

"How can you call yourself Voldemort's daughter when you can't even speak Parseltongue?" I pressed on recklessly. I felt a savage pleasure in watching her crumble at my words. I knew she wouldn't kill me. As she had said before, she needed me.

"These things sometimes skip a generation," she said coldly.

"Riiight," I sneered. "And how would you explain the prophecy?"

"What about the prophecy?" she snapped. The cold arrogance remained, but there was a touch of desperation in her voice. She wasn't as confident as she seemed.

"Oh, _you_ know what I mean. That's why you quit Divination, isn't it? You couldn't accept the truth." I was thoroughly enjoying this now.

"I am Voldemort's Heir. That is the truth." There was a definite edge of panic in her voice. I had her, and she knew it.

"I don't think it is. 'Snakes will bow before him. Muggles will cower before him.' _Him_, Nagisa, not _her_. Voldemort's heir is male. Let's see, male, a parseltongue, face it Gisa, _I've_ got more of a chance to be Voldemort's Heir than you do."

Nagisa rounded on me with murder in her eyes. My desperate bravado escaped me, leaving me with a cold, clammy feeling of dread. She raised her wand, and I nearly wet myself.

_Please, don't let her use the Cruciatus Curse,_ I thought. _Please, I would rather die_.

She lowered her wand and smiled. She was evil personified.

"You're right. I can't do it." That was the last thing I had been expecting her to say. "You're going to do it for me."

"And why would I do that?" I asked, my heart pounding. I didn't like where this was going.

Nagisa strode over to the hostages, grabbed Lily Potter by the arm and hauled her to her feet, pointing a wand at her throat. "Because if you don't, I'm going to kill her."

Ironically, Lily Potter is called upon to make the same sacrifice as her grandmother and namesake. Will Tom choose to summon the monster to save Lily's life, or will he choose to sacrifice her for "The Greater Good"? Stay tuned for the next chapter: Hour of the Serpent.


	20. Hour of the Basilisk

Note: I've never really prized a rigid fidelity to the plot and characters of an original series in fanfiction, but this chapter contains a SIGNIFICANT factual deviation from the original series concerning the abilities of the Basilisk. It might cause some readers to turn away in disgust, but I left it in because I wanted to offer further evidence that Tom MAY be Voldemort's Heir, for reasons that will become clear in the final chapter.

Also, I would like to offer younger readers another warning about mature content: This chapter contains a scene of graphic violence. No doubt I will be receiving reviews or PMs about how to rate a single chapter Mature any day now…either that or bans, lol. But srsly, if anyone thinks I should rate this story Mature, tell me so in a review or PM please.

Chapter 20: Hour of the Basilisk

"That's cheating," I said quietly.

"This isn't a game of Quiddich, Tom," Nagisa snapped. "There are no rules."

Lily began to mumble frantically, nearly choking on her gag.

"Let her speak," I said.

"Don't do it Tom! I'll die anyway, after the snake comes. You heard her; she's going to sacrifice my friends! I'm-" The rest was drowned out as Nagisa replaced the spell.

"Well?" Nagisa asked, offering me the book of Dark Magick and the lens that had belonged to my mother.

Lily stood with her back straight and her chin held high. Her eyes were dry, but her hands were shaking.

Nagisa and I both knew that I couldn't watch her die.

I took the book and the lens from Nagisa. I watched as the lens twisted the unintelligible words into a familiar language, a language I knew was not English. I took a deep breath, and I began to read.

The carving responded to my voice more readily than it had to Nagisa's. Its eyes opened almost as soon as I had begun the incantation, and its body thrashed beneath a thin layer of stone as I finished the second line. I was in the process of giving life to a nightmare, but I had long passed the point of no return. As I drew nearer to the end of the incantation, the snake's movement ceased. The sudden silence was not reassuring. My voice trembled as I read the final line. I heard a far-off rumbling noise that seemed to close in on me as I listened. A small piece of stone clattered to the floor. I gulped. Suddenly, the North wall shattered, revealing a large, deadly basilisk.

This was no ordinary basilisk. Its fangs were over three feet long and sharp spikes protruded from the tip of its tail. Its scales were black rather than the usual emerald green, and seemed to be coated with an additional layer of protective armor. Looking at it sideways to avoid its deadly gaze, I estimated that its head must be the size of my torso.

The basilisk opened its mouth to speak. Its imposing voice rang across the small chamber._ I am Sath'rah, king of the serpents_. _Who has summoned me?_

A few seconds passed before I could compose myself enough to answer. _She did._ I replied, jerking my head at Nagisa. I looked away just in time as the snake turned to glare at me. I shrank from the force of its fury.

_All right, I helped. _I admitted.

Nagisa stepped forward, arms extended and palms facing upward in a gesture of peaceful salutation. _Greetings, mighty Sath'rah_. _I have freed you from your prison. Together, we will usher in an era of prosperity for those who are worthy. _She spoke in a mixture of Parseltongue and English, so I was the only one who could piece together what she was saying. It was clear that she had understood nothing of the previous exchange.

_Do not offend my ears with your tasteless babble. Only Salazar Slytherin's kin are worthy to command me,_ Sath'rah hissed imperiously.

Nagisa attempted Parseltongue again, haltingly saying to the snake something along the lines of: _Please speak more slowly, I am just beginning to study the ancient tongue_. I could barely understand her; her pronunciation was way off. When the snake did not respond, she switched to English. "What's he saying?" she asked me, leveling her wand at my chest.  
"He says that a non-relation to Salazar Slytherin is not worthy to command him," I calmly replied. Now was not the time to bait her.

Nagisa's eyes widened in surprise, then hardened to steely fury. She raised her wand and advanced on me. Fear quickened my heartbeat as I imagined the sickening pain of the Cruciatus Curse, but once again I was given an unexpected reprieve as Nagisa lowered her wand and slapped me across the face.

"Liar!" she shrieked. "Who is worthy to command Sath'rah, King of the Basilisks, if not I, Nagisa _Voldemort_?!"

That was the wrong thing to say. Sath'rah coiled his body more tightly in irritation. _I grow tired of you, usurper who dares to speak the name of my master_._ I think it is time I taught you some manners,_ he hissed. I opened my mouth to warn her, but it was too late. As she turned toward Sath'rah with a radiant smile on her face, the serpent struck, biting off her head in one swift motion. But he was not done there. Sath'rah proceeded to sink his teeth into her flesh, splitting her open from neck to navel. His powerful jaws tore off her arm and tossed it in my direction. Her blood was everywhere. I flinched as a drop hit my wounded cheek. I turned away. I could not watch this. _Please_, I thought. _Please stop_.

I felt Sath'rah's gaze on me, and turned toward him slowly, careful not to meet his eyes.

_Look at me, prince of Slytherin,_ Sath'rah commanded. Startled, I looked up and then away. Looking a basilisk in the eyes was supposed to mean certain death; yet, somehow, I felt fine.

_Only pureblooded descendents of Salazar Slytherin can look me in the eyes and survive _Sath'rah informed me. _You remember the woman was careful to avoid my gaze. _

I closed my eyes again to avoid seeing Nagisa's dismembered body sprawled before me on the stone floor. _Why are you so displeased?_ Sath'rah asked me._ She was your enemy, and I have disposed of her for you._

_Please, don't address me as a prince of Slytherin. I'm just a regular Gryffindor. And I wouldn't wish such a brutal death on anyone._

_So, I suppose that means I can't have one of those tasty-looking morsels for afters?_ Sath'rah said, indicating the bound students.

_No. _I replied firmly.

_Very well then. What is it you require of me, my prince?_

_Go far away from Hogwarts. And never again cause harm to any wizard, or Muggle, that crosses your path._

The snake gave an approximation of a grin, looking almost bemused. _I will leave the castle, if that is your wish. But I cannot promise not to eat._

Sensing that this was the best compromise I could hope for, I replied, _Please leave then._

Inclining its head to me in an unnerving impression of a bow, Sath'rah slithered away into the darkness. _May we meet again, my prince._

I shivered, thinking _I hope not_, and praying that the snake could not read my mind. 

Nagisa's dead and Sath'rah's gone, but all is not well for our hero. Is Tom the Heir of Slytherin, or is it just a rumor or a misunderstanding after all? Stay tuned for the final chapter: Voldemort's Heir!


	21. Voldemort's Heir

So, several months later, here it is. The first fanfic this lazy writer actually FINISHED! Ever!! Even if I did take a 2 month break cause I got bored with it…. Oh well, as the saying goes, better late than never. The final chapter is quite mushy, feel free to let me know if you feel it gets tied up too neatly.

Chapter 21: Voldemort's Heir

After Sath'rah left, I exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat off my brow. I was covered in blood and vomit and my body ached all over, but at least I was alive. I had never felt so exhausted in my life, but I couldn't afford to rest. With Nagisa's death, the Imperius Curse seemed to have lifted from Gabbe and Coyle, but the others were still bound and wandless. Once again, it fell to me to rescue them.

I refused to go anywhere near Nagisa's body, so I borrowed a wand from a stunned and confused Gabbe. Next, I scanned Nagisa's book of Dark Magick for a way to reverse the gagging spell. It appeared to be a variation of the Silencing Charm; fortunately, it had the same countercurse. I waved Gabbe's wand and muttered "loquentium."

To my intense relief, my charm worked on the first try. Noise filled the air as a room full of people coughed, yawned, and retched simultaneously.

"Quiet!" I shouted.

Silence descended in an instant. I couldn't help feeling a bit impressed with myself.

"What spell do I use to untie you?" I asked the group at large.

"I'd use a Severing Charm," Lily answered.

I reached behind her, untied her, and handed her Gabbe's wand.

"You'd better do it," I said. "You know how bad I am with charms, I might cut their hands off by accident."

Lily took the wand, smiling a bit. "You don't do yourself justice, Tom."

I couldn't believe my ears. Had Lily Potter given me a compliment? Smiling even wider at the look on my face, Lily turned back to the group and performed the Severing Charm. The freed Gryffindors winced in pain and rubbed their sore wrists. I felt it was time to make my exit. But no sooner had I begun to head for the door than I tripped over something. I bent down to pick it up and found myself holding Nagisa's severed arm. Dropping the appendage like a hot coal, I swayed on the spot and promptly lost what remained of my dinner. Straightening up, I noticed that a certain silver bracelet had caught on my sleeve.

As I stared at the bracelet I had given Nagisa just this morning, the memories of our time together came rushing back like a flood breaking through a dam. I saw Nagisa standing in the forest glade, carrying the parasol I made for her, Nagisa fast asleep with her head on my lap, Nagisa snogging me in the hallway of the boy's dormitory as Ted looked on. I remembered, and I was seized by a powerful rush of longing for what could never be. I put my head in my hands and sobbed like a baby. Lily came up behind me and gently touched my back. "Tom-"

"Don't," I whispered, wiping away my tears. "I know she was evil. I understand that. But still, I wish I could have saved her, somehow. I wish-"

Lily wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder.

"You can't save everyone, Tom," she said. "But, you saved _us_."

I was stunned. I was dirty, and disgusting, and must smell _horrible_, yet here was Lily Potter, hugging me and comforting me. I was more grateful that I could say… but I couldn't shake the doubts at the back of my mind.

"Why are you being so nice?" I asked suspiciously.

Lily withdrew her arms and poked me hard in the ribs. I yelped.

"What was _that_ for?!"

"You _idiot_! You just saved my _life_!"

"Er- yeah, right," I said, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. Everyone laughed, including Lily.

"Sorry to break up you two lovebirds, but what should we do with him?" James asked, jerking his head towards Malfoy. Scorpius lay propped up on the wall near the corner of the room, right where Nagisa had left him after performing the Petrification spell.

"Lily could…" my voice failed me. "Could you fetch me my wand?"

Lily silently retrieved my wand from Nagisa's corpse and handed it to me.

It appeared as though Nagisa hadn't done the spell properly, for Malfoy's eyes widened as I advanced on him with my wand drawn. I'm sure he thought I was going to kill him. I looked him straight in the eye as I performed the countercurse.

"It's all right," I said, offering him my hand. "She tricked the both of us."

Malfoy took my hand and attempted to pull me to the ground. I stumbled and cursed as my knees hit the hard stone floor.

"Stay away from me, you filthy little blood traitor. I don't need your pity." Malfoy sneered.

James pulled out his wand. "You little git-"

I held up my hand, gritting my teeth against the pain. "It's all right, James, I'll get him back later. For now, I just want to get out of here."

James returned his wand to his pocket. " 'Course, mate. Whatever you say."

Was I hallucinating or had James Potter called me his mate?

I blinked at him in surprise and gingerly got to my feet.

"Let's get out of here," I said, limping toward the exit.

Everyone followed, save a short kid with brown hair and large blue eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere with him," he said, pointing a trembling finger at me. "He's _Voldemort's _son, he said it himself."

I slumped against the wall. I no longer possessed the energy or the inclination to contradict this rumor.

"It could be true," I admitted with a sad smile.

"So what?" Ted said. Everyone stared at him, including myself. "I'm the bloody son of a werewolf."

The kid's eyes swelled to the size of crystal balls. "But the prophecy says-"

"It doesn't matter," Ted snapped. "Even if Tom is Voldemort's Heir, he'll still be my roommate, and," he looked straight at me, "he'll still be my friend."

I met his gaze. "You don't really mean that" I said quietly.

"Yes, Tom, I do." His voice was firm and determined.

"And so do I," said Lily.

"And I," said Trevor.

"And I," said James.

There was a general murmur of assent from the Gryffindors.

"So bugger off" said James.

"I didn't mean… I mean you were all thinking it!" the bug-eyed boy finished defensively.

"All right, Tom?" Ted asked.

I couldn't speak. After 16 years of regrets and recriminations, I finally felt as though I found a place where I belonged.

"Now that that's settled, let's get out of here" said James. "I think we've had more than enough fun for one evening, don't you?"

I laughed. "If you consider mortal peril fun, I've had enough 'fun' for a lifetime."

So, that's all she wrote! Or, at least all this "she" is writing. Please, please, please review. This chapter, and your overall impressions for the story. If I get 100 reviews or more, I'll write a sequel. Promise =).


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